The Dogs of War Begin to Howl
--- Early morning. There wasn't a sound to be heard, not within the confines of his house or outside of it. It was the time of day when life itself was seemingly halted. Not even the birds had stirred, and sunlight had yet to break through the darkness of night. Unfortunately for him, however, he was sitting up in his bed, stretching, and rubbing his eyes. Why did missions always have to start so early...? In his half awake daze, Raishin Uchiha got to his feet, going through his usual morning routine, which he capped off by tying his Konohagakure forehead protector around his head. The young Genin was about to head out the door before realizing he had forgotten his tantō, a testament to how not fully awake he was. Retrieving the blade, he finally left, making his way through the village. The streets were completely empty, as he figured they would be. Who in their right minds would be out and about at this hour? Really, even he didn't have to be, but he'd chosen to get up earlier than necessary because he had a goal in mind before setting out with his team. Untrained observers would assume he was wandering with no destination in sight, but that couldn't be further from the truth. His feet carried him to the gates of the , where he paused for a moment, thinking. Raishin hadn't been here since his funeral. Even now, a little over a year later, it was hard to stop himself from getting choked up with emotion. Steeling himself, he passed through the gates. Rows of headstones greeted him as he entered the cemetery, the mist of morning swirling enigmatically around them. In a way, as he observed the dew resting upon the blades of the well-kept grass, the environment was almost peaceful. Solemn, yes, but peaceful nonetheless. Exhaling deeply, the boy came to a stop in front of his father's grave, hands in his pockets, eyes cast down. “Hey, dad.” Raishin's voice sounded small, and it wavered with uncertainty. He found himself searching for the words to express everything he wanted to say adequately. This wasn't right, it was unfair! It was completely unfair that his father was gone, laid to rest in the grave before him. He needed his father's guidance and teaching, he wasn't supposed to be taken away from him for another few decades. Pain and grief stabbed mockingly at his chest, and one of his hands left his pocket to run through his hair. “So...I did it,” he began shakily. “I graduated from the Academy, but I missed you being there. Part of me wonders if you'd have been proud, but the other part of me knows that to be true. Your old friend Arata is my master now. We're actually going on our first significant mission today.” For the last few months, it had been nothing but simple, boring, inconsequential assignments for them. Grunt work. This new mission would mark the beginning of them being treated as real shinobi, having proven themselves responsible and dependable, capable of succeeding as a team. “You know, it's supposedly going to be kinda dangerous,” he mused. It was starting to be real to him now. From that moment forward, every time he left the village, he would be risking earning a spot in the empty grave site next to his father's. “Master Arata and my teammates will be with me, though. We'll be okay, and besides...I'm your son. The blood of the Uchiha flows through me, just like it did you. You may not be here to see it, but...I'm going to prove I'm worthy of you.” He finally looked up, tears in his eyes as he read the name engraved on his father's headstone. Blinking and wiping his tears away, the boy placed the old, chipped kunai that his father had given him when he was younger at the foot of the headstone. Dawn was starting to slowly overtake night, and Raishin gazed at the headstone, lost in thought. --- Outside the walls of the village, the winds were calm as they brushed through the trees, the leaves moving in kind to play the music of nature. The forest was still, with the animals resting for the day ahead. But there was one who remained awake as the sun slowly began peaking over the horizon. A young girl stood among the plains outside the village. With sweat on her brow, she punched the ground, frustrated at the lack of progress she felt in her training. "Why can't I do it?! I have to master this, or I won't ever catch up to my team!" She yelled out. As she got back up on her feet, she activated her Byakugan once more. As she tried to flow her chakra outward and into the earth, it would begin to settle, before it pulled itself back within her. Meiyū's frustrations grew even more as she continued punching the ground. She couldn't find out what she was doing wrong, and it left her angry and frustrated. Just then, as she knelt down at the ground, she felt a change in the air. "The way of the nomads was paved not through force, but through acceptance and peace within one's self. They did not force the earth, but nudged it gently, guiding it towards its destination. They felt the earth resting upon their feet like a welcome embrace." An unknown voice called out. Looking around, Meiyū saw no one around her. She felt like she must have been going crazy from pushing herself so much, but the words she heard began to make sense. As she took off her sandals, Meiyū adjusted her stance. Once more, she poured her chakra into the earth. As she did, she could feel her chakra finally coinciding with the earth around her. In that moment, she raised her hands upward, and the earth responded. A nearby gathering of stones lifted from the ground, floating around Meiyū's presence. As she slowly let her arms back down, the stones responded in kind, gently resting back upon the ground. As she returned her chakra back to her body, Meiyū jumped up and down in joy, finally learning how to move the earth itself. In her excitement, Meiyū began running back to the village to meet up with the others. --- Within the village, a young prince was meditating. Alongside him was his mother, meditating in kind. They had finished another round of early morning training to continue to strengthen Teiryū for the hardships ahead. He knew there was plenty, but he did not fear the outcome. He was confident in himself, his team, and in Kurama. Teiryū is the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Beast, and has formed a bond with the beast that hadn't been thought possible in many years. The young Genin bonded with Kurama at an astoundingly early age. The ones who transferred Kurama to Teiryū believed there would be a schism between the two, due to Kurama's extreme temperament. But the two coincided together peacefully, thanks to Teiryū accepting Kurama within him when he learned of his status as jinchūriki. Teiryū's future looked bright, thanks in part to the training he continued to receive from his mother, a former Tsuchikage and the grandmaster of the legendary Monks of Stone that hail from Iwagakure. Their taijutsu was considered legendary; even the Hyūga respected the raw power the Monks of Stone were able to bring forth within themselves. Teiryū was next in line to lead the Monks of Stone one day, and his mother wanted him to be ready for that day. He was excited for today; it was the beginning of him and his team's first official mission as Team 13, and he was ready. As his meditation was finished, he gave his mother a deep embrace and departed, ready to meet up with the others. --- Arata was probably meant to be a teacher of shinobi. He was studious, diligent in his training, relentless in his expectations, honest in feedback, but genuine in his encouragement. Never did he imagine, though, when he was given command of a squad of Genin that it would be like this. This was his first time serving as a teacher, but he was given probably the most challenging students to work with. Sure, he would never admit it, but he was nervous and the Hokage had done him no favors in assigning teams. Part of him was enjoying the challenge, but part of him also wished sometimes that he’d been given just regular Genin to train. His current students were anything but regular Genin; they were incredible talents. Arata supposed he could understand why they’d been placed in his care. He had been, after all, the captain of the Hokage Guard Platoon, a prestigious duty given only to the Village’s most trusted, skilled Jōnin elites. In any case, the man was undeniably excited to see how his pupils fared on a real mission. They had performed admirably to this point, never complaining, never slacking, never goofing off even though they were doing nothing but grunt work. Heading towards their designated rendezvous point within the village, the man began to reflect on the collection of characters his team had turned out to be… A fiery, yet happy-go-lucky Uzumaki of noble lineage, the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails Demon Fox. Teiryū was quite the talent, a prodigy, but as of right now, the boy was still subconsciously tapping into the beast’s power without the ability to restrain it. This was breeding dependency, one which had to be broken if the boy was to reach his potential. It was to be expected, Teiryū was young. Meiyū, of the Hyūga clan’s branch house, had already awakened the Byakugan and showed amazing prowess with its signature Gentle Fist taijutsu. She was, however, insecure and timid, lacking in confidence and assertiveness. It would be crucial to build her up, slowly but surely. The skill was there, that much was certain. Lastly, there was Raishin of the notorious Uchiha clan, a melancholy and quiet, but thoughtful boy, the son of his deceased best friend. Arata had no idea how to handle Raishin, truthfully. The child was withdrawn and tended to push people away, keep his feelings to himself. However, there was no denying how impressive he was. Part of Arata felt the need to give Raishin his space, but part of him knew that if the Uchiha continued to wallow in his sadness, the results would be catastrophic. Nothing worthwhile ever came without challenges, he supposed. Each of his three students had particular obstacles to overcome, issues they must conquer if they wished to become fine shinobi. His job was to help them get to that point, even if he felt unsure of himself for the first time in years. Teaching was far more daunting than anything he had done before. Arata finally reached the meeting point at the gates of the village, surprised to find that all three of his students were there early. Excellent. This was a sign of their eagerness to prove themselves, in his eyes. Cold wind blew through his hair, leaves rustling as they were carried away by the gust. As dawn began to take full form, light revealed a steely, grey sky up above. Winter was officially here, and the Rinne Festival would be soon upon them. “Yo,” he greeted them, nonchalant as ever as he waved a hand airily. “Good morning, you three. I appreciate your punctuality on this beautiful day.” No, he wasn't going to let them know he'd noticed they were early, and they were expected to be on time. His expectations were consistent. “Now, I suppose I should go over the details regarding our new assignment. We are being dispatched to Kirigakure on a fact-finding mission to determine the status of that village. Reports of dysfunction have come in, and their higher-ups have invited Konoha to send a unit. Consider this a diplomatic visit of sorts.” It probably wasn't the glamorous, life-endangering sort of mission his subordinates had conjured up in their imaginations when they'd been given a more difficult task. However, they would be rubbing elbows with the most important individuals in a foreign village. This was a far cry from their normal routine of grunt work. “The plan is to head for the coast of the Land of Fire and board a ship for the Land of Water. Upon our arrival, he will spend most of our time exploring Kirigakure, talking with its citizens and notable individuals, meeting with its council. I expect each of you to keep journals of your experiences from here on out on missions. These are the types of adventures that mold us not just as shinobi, but as human beings. As a team, we will go over these frequently so we can see how much we are all evolving and growing.” Offering his students a smile, Arata motioned for them to follow him, and as they walked through the gates, he took one look back at home. No matter what happened, he was going to ensure they all returned here in once piece. --- It’s a strict winter this year around. Again. Just like how the citizen from the heart of the city hide in their warm houses, sleeping soundlessly in their beds without the fear of being frozen to death. They can just stretch their muscles and be on with their day. Of course, with the a mere few days away, many volunteer helping out to finish in time. Even in this bitter coldness, the citizens went outside and their joy could be heard in the form of music that could be heard from beyond these walls. Standing near a frozen lake, the yakuza boss heard the soft beats coming from them, of how the privileged celebrated the festival when it wasn’t even a happy season to begin with. The slums knew it all too well, when they have prayed enough on their knees for the dead like he did for his sister. Praying for a safe haven where the cold couldn’t touch them. Never was there an answer of hope, only threats. All these deaths must be stopped. And the world has taught him only one way… …just like a certain maddened Hōzuki the ancient clanswoman compared him to. But instead the young yakuza boss feels absurdly calm in the presence of a younger him. His watchful gaze observes his brother’s ice skating, giving him an encouraging smile when the boy waved at him. This soft side was only reserved for that child, no one else, not anymore. After all, danger lurked around everywhere, especially for his family and the infamous Sōai-kai. Making him always highly attentive of his surroundings, thickening the near frozen vapour that reform in a mist bank, hiding the both of them from prying eyes. “What are you doing here?” To his annoyance there was an intruder interrupting his moment of tranquillity. “Ara, ara, Tōgetsu-taishō what a cute smile you may behold,” a woman donning a black kitsune mask teased the man she swore her loyalties to. His stern gaze that now rests on her cuts her laughing to observe his younger brother. “My apologies for my tardiness, but I had to reaffirm my ears heard right. And I’m very much aware you are in precious company, unfortunately this cannot wait until further adieu.” She offers him a scroll that contains all the information she had obtained through her spying on the council and other Kiri shinobi. Reading through the contents of the scroll, Tōgetsu couldn’t help but bemuse his subordinate with a crazed, loud laughter. His crimson eyes revere the scroll with complete amusement, unable to stop that smug grin on his guise to reveal those razer sharp teeth. “Inform the others that we will proceed with the plan. And Obana, please do tell the twins that we are expecting guests for the grand festival.” Tōgetsu sounded dogmatic and fearless of what could come. There were no words that would change his mind. Thus the woman needed to say no more, disappearing soundlessly from his sight with the bank of mist embracing her once again. And just for a moment, Tōgetsu had forgotten about his younger brother that was dancing on the ice, now standing in front of him. “Is something wrong, niisan?” His voice alone was enough to bring the dotting yakuza boss back from his craze, the bloodthirst evaporating like the mist around them. Reaching out his hand to help Shōgetsu back on land, he proposed a mischief that made the younger one smile alike, '“Nothing at all, baby brother. Let’s just snatch something warm from the food tents and bring it back to dad.” '